Himalayan Art Resources

Item: Ushnishavijaya (Buddhist Deity) - (three faces, eight arms)

གཙུག་གཏོར་རྣམ་པར་རྒྱལ་མ། ཚེ་ལྷ། 尊圣佛母(本尊)
(item no. 32347)
Origin Location China
Date Range 1700 - 1799
Lineages Gelug and Buddhist
Material Metal, Mercuric Gild, Painted Face/Hair
Collection Private
Notes about the Central Figure

Classification: Deity

Appearance: Peaceful

Gender: Female

Interpretation / Description

"Ushnishavijaya, the colour of an autumn moon; with three faces, white, yellow and blue and eight hands. Each face has three very large eyes. The first right hand holds a visvavajra, second a white lotus with Amitabha residing, third an arrow and the fourth in supreme generosity. The first left holds a vajra lasso, second a bow, third bestowing protection and fourth in meditative equipoise holding an auspicious nectar vase; complete with silks and jewel ornaments, seated in [vajra] posture. Within the outer circle of the stupa, on the right [side of the chaitya], above a moon is Avalokiteshvara with a body white in colour; the left hand holds a lotus. On the left [of the chaitya], above a sun is Vajrapani, blue; the left hand holds an utpala with vajra; standing in a peaceful manner and adorned with silks and jewels." (Jamyang Kyentse Wangpo, 1820-1892).

Jeff Watt [updated 6-2019]

Related Items
Publications
Publication: Sattvas & Rajas, The Culture and Art of Tibetan Buddhism (Sculpture)

Thematic Sets
Buddhist Deity: Ushnishavijaya Main Page
Buddhist Deity: Ushnishavijaya (Amitabha with Halo)
Buddhist Deity: Ushnishavijaya (Amitayus Sadhana)
Buddhist Deity: Ushnishavijaya Masterworks (Sculpture)